Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Given that the teachers' unions have not found favour with Dr. Travers' recent proposals relating to junior certificate reform, given the botched manner in which this was dealt with historically, particularly by the Minister's predecessor, Deputy Quinn, who in a very ham-fisted way ignored the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment's original recommendations on this issue, and given the very bad relations and entrenched positions that developed as a result of his approach, does the Minister not agree it is time to go back to the drawing board? She should stand back from the issue and engage with the teaching profession on the issue of independent assessment and the best methodology to use to develop the talents and intelligence of young people. That is an important issue which is being lost because of how this debate has been conducted over the past two years. There is the issue of the lack of independent assessment, and we must be clear about that. By visiting rural schools, one can see how closely knit communities are, which raises substantial issues that are being dismissed too readily. Teachers have a valid point on this issue because the one good thing about our State examination system is that, irrespective of background, students get fair treatment. It is one of the few systems in the country about which we can say that influence or knowing someone in the parish, the golf club, the GAA club, the rugby club and so forth will have no impact on the outcome or result. There are legitimate and substantive issues. There are also legitimate issues about how we teach and learn.

I accept that. There have been reforms through the years, such as different forms of the leaving certificate, namely the leaving certificate applied and the leaving certificate vocational. I would like to know when the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill will be published. It would be good if people stood back from all this because it is not going go anywhere the way it is being handled. Ramming it through will not be effective because curricular change ultimately needs the full engagement and participation of stakeholders. The key dynamic in the classroom is the one between the teacher and the child which is central to the successful roll-out of change.

My second question relates to the proposed education Bill. Recent parliamentary replies have suggested that the concept of an independent ex quota provision for careers guidance counselling will never return to schools. The Minister has said that more or less in parliamentary replies to my colleague. Is this the position and is careers guidance something that will never return to the classroom to the degree and scale that pertained before the Government's decision to abolish ex quota careers guidance counsellors, which removed 1,000 teachers from the system? Deputy McConalogue has been persistent in pursuing this issue with the Minister for the past year or more and the responses have become more alarming in the sense of it being all about the school community but with no additional resources being given. All the lip service to mental health and the challenges young people face in schools and society-----

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